Theatre Productions Fall 2025

The Zoo Story

Written by Edward Albee

Sept. 25-28

Synopsis

Edward Albee’s "The Zoo Story" begins as an ordinary conversation between Peter and Jerry, two strangers in the park, on a typical Sunday afternoon. As the day progresses, their conversation evolves into something greater than either could have anticipated. Tensions ebb and flow into a culmination of power and desire that calls attention to what lies under the surface of our humanity. Albee finds what brings us together and what pushes us further apart, and fits "The Zoo Story" perfectly between the two.

Cast

• Peter: Hayden Maples
• Jerry: Brie Yates

Crew

• Student-Director: Caleb Hoppe
• Asst. Director: Octavia Biggs
• Stage Manager: Kady Montgomery
• Asst. Stage Manager: Lilliana Stines
• Scenic Design: Caleb Hoppe
• Asst. Scene Design: Mark Hayes
• Lighting Design: Mark Hayes
• Asst. Lighting Design: THEA 321 Class
• Props: Caleb Hoppe
• Asst. Props: Kady Montgomery
• Costume Design: Summer Little
• Hair/Makeup Design: Summer Little
• Sound Design: Hunter Caudill
• Asst. Sound Design: Caleb Hoppe

The Lover

Written by Harold Pinter

Sept. 25-28

Synopsis

"The Lover" by Harold Pinter is a tense, psychological drama that explores the complexities of marriage, desire, and identity. The play follows Richard and Sarah, a seemingly conventional couple who engage in an elaborate game of infidelity and roleplay. As the boundaries between fantasy and reality blur, their carefully controlled dynamic begins to unravel, exposing the power struggles and emotional fractures beneath their relationship. With Pinter’s signature use of pauses and subtext, "The Lover" keeps audiences questioning who holds control and whether love can truly exist without deception.

Cast

• Richard: Mannie Jones
• Sara: Abby Lewis
• John/Milkman/Dancer: Ayden Bolen
• Dancer: Laurabeth Oliver

Crew

• Student-Director: Natalie Shoemaker
• Asst. Director: Octavia Biggs
• Stage Manager: Tena Dean
• Asst. Stage Manager: Wiley Stratton
• Scenic Design: Natalie Shoemaker
• Asst. Scene Design: Mark Hayes
• Lighting Design: Mark Hayes
• Asst. Lighting Design: THEA 321 Class
• Props: Natalie Shoemaker
• Asst. Props: Tena Dean
• Costume Design: Summer Little
• Hair/Makeup Design: Summer Little
• Sound Design: Hunter Caudill
• Asst. Sound Design: Natalie Shoemaker

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead

Written by Tom Stoppard

Nov. 6-16

Synopsis

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead is a play by Tom Stoppard that reinterprets Shakespeare's Hamlet from the perspective of two minor characters, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The play follows these two as they navigate the events of Hamlet, often confused, highlighting themes of fate, free will, and the nature of reality. It's a tragicomedy that explores the absurdity of human existence and the characters' struggle to find meaning in a world they don't comprehend.

Cast

• TBD

Crew

• TBD

TICKETS

Unless otherwise stated, productions are presented in the Lucille Caudill Little Theatre in Breckinridge Hall.

Tickets are:

• Adult: $15
• Seniors (60+): $10
• Children and Non-MSU Students: $10
• MSU Students: Free with MSU ID

Tickets cannot be purchased online. We can accept cash or checks upon arrival.

Reservations are required for all productions and are made by calling 606-783-2170 or via email at mtdboxoffice@moreheadstate.edu.

Patrons

Listed below are our patrons. We want to give each of them a special thank you!

In Memoriam

• Lucille Caudill Little
• Nelson Carpenter
• Kozy Hamilton
• Dr. Travis P. Lockhart

Honorary Lifetime Patrons

• Dr. and Mrs. Ronald Eaglin
• Dr. and Mrs. William J. Layne

Lifetime Angels ($400 or more)

Donors contributing at this level during any given year will be recognized as lifetime patrons.

• Dr. Walter and Cheryl Blevins
• Dr. Kent and Kay Freeland
• Clyde I. James
• Eric and Mary Jerde
• Roger M. Johnson
• Drs. Michael and Dayna Seelig
• Jim and Cindy Shaw
• Thom and Judy Yancy
• Russ and Mary Mast

Directors (S300-$399)

• N/A

Ensemble ($200-$299)

• Sylvia Hennenberg
• Glen Colburn

Season Ticket Holders

• Octavia Biggs
• Christina Swanson

NOTE: MSU Theatre patrons are recognized based on annual giving to the program. This list represents contributions received through 2023. Patrons added after this date will appear in the next program.

Theatre Faculty & Staff

Octavia Biggs

• Director of The Little Company and Lecturer of Theatre
• Director of Shooting Stars YouTheatre with Lexington Children's Theatre

Rebecca Earehart

• Costume Shop Supervisor and Instructor of Theatre

W. Mark Hayes

• Technical Director and Instructor of Theatre

Dr. Sylvia Henneberg

• Dean of the Caudill College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences

Dr. David Oyen

• Chair of Music, Theatre, and Dance

Tamara Schubert

• Academic Department Specialist; Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance

Dr. Denise Vulhop Watkins

• Professor of Theatre

Previous Productions

Gruesome Playground Injuries

Written by Rajiv Joseph

Directed by Summer Little

April 10, 11, and 12 at 7:30 p.m. April 13 at 2 p.m.

It’s not your typical love story: Doug and Kayleen meet at the nurse’s office in their elementary school; she’s got a painful stomachache, and he’s all banged up from a running dive off the school's roof. Over the next thirty years, these star-crossed lovers meet repeatedly, brought together by injury, heartbreak, and self-destructive tendencies. With great compassion and humor, playwright Rajiv Joseph crafts a compelling and unconventional love story about the intimacy between two people when they allow their defenses to drop and their wounds to show.

The Revolutionists

Written by Lauren Gunderson

Directed by Rebecca Earehart

Feb. 27, 28, March 1 at 7:30 p.m. March 2 at 2 p.m.

March 6, 7, 8 at 7:30 p.m. March 9 at 2 p.m. 

Four beautiful, badass women lose their heads in this irreverent, girl-powered comedy set during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror. Playwright Olympe De Gouges, assassin Charlotte Corday, former queen (and fan of ribbons) Marie Antoinette, and Haitian rebel Marianne Angelle hang out, murder Marat, and try to beat back the extremist insanity in 1793 Paris. This grand and dream-tweaked comedy is about violence and legacy, art and activism, feminism and terrorism, compatriots and chosen sisters, and how we change the world. It’s a true story. Or total fiction. Or a play about a play. Or a raucous resurrection…that ends in a song and a scaffold.

The Little CompanY

The company is heading to Baltimore to perform at the South Eastern Theatre Conference (SETC). Before they leave, they will have a public performance on Saturday, the 15, at CoffeeTree Books in Morehead, KY, with two showtimes: 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.